A Normal Life
by Kali Gargoyle
Summary: The Turtles are still fighting against enemies like Oroku Saki and Dragon Lord, only with a twist. Alterted Reality/Parallel Universe story.
1. Chapter One: The First Day

A Normal Life 

By Kali Gargoyle

*** 

Chapter One: The First Day 

*** 

Mike kicked the pop can again. He couldn't believe the time had passed so quickly. The months went by in a blur, he could hardly remember what he had done with his time. Video games and chores mostly. And now it was starting all over again, the work, the torture, the unending pain. 

"Hey, Mikey!" 

Mike stopped and turned his orange baseball cap around to get the visor out of his line of sight. He smiled as his childhood friend steered his bike over to the curb and hopped off. "Hey Donny." 

Don ran his fingers back through his wavy brown hair. "Tardy again, huh, Mike? Man, and it's only the first day!" 

Mike shrugged and shuffled along to his dreaded destination. Don caught up and walked with him. Mike blew away his pale blonde hair from his face. "Aren't you gonna be late, too, Mr. Brain?" 

Don smiled. "We're not late, actually, kinda early." 

Mike turned on his heel, tearing up the hems of his jeans. "Dude, I'll be back when the bell rings." 

Don grabbed the loop on top of Mike's backpack and pulled him back. "Come on, the others will be waiting." 

Mike adjusted his pack and resentfully walked with Don. 

They arrived at the school just as Raphael's motorcycle pulled into its parking space. Don and Mike wandered over after locking up Don's bicycle. 

"Hey guys," Kali waved at them, her helmet tucked under her arm. Raph pulled his own helmet off and pulled his ponytail out of his jacket, grunting his greeting. 

"Ready for senior year?" Don asked. 

Kali made an odd face. "School is a necessary evil with few redeeming qualities, Don. But I guess I'm ready." 

Mike mirrored her expression. "You can find redeeming qualities?" 

They all laughed, except for Raph, who stared silently at the school entrance. Kali elbowed him. "Hey!" 

"Huh, wha?" 

Kali frowned. Raphael had been acting strange lately, more restless than usual. "Something the matter?" 

Raph shook his head, "Nah, nothing. Who's that?" 

They all looked towards the entrance where a young woman stood, looking confused. 

"I don't know," Kali said softly. "Maybe she's new." 

"She's cute!" Mike exclaimed. "I'm gonna say hi!" 

Mike jogged towards the girl. The others walked at their normal paces. "I've never seen him run so fast," Don commented. 

Raph laughed. "Unless pizza's involved." 

Kali smiled and looped her arm around Raph's. 

*** 

"Hi!" 

The girl jumped and backed away from the young boy who appeared before her. Mike smiled and looked her over. She was just over five feet with delicate Chinese features and long black hair held back in a braid. "I'm Mike, you new?" 

She relaxed a little. "Yes, I am new. My name is Mei Pieh Chi." 

The other three finally reached them and Raph pulled Mike away. "Nice to meet ya, Mei Pieh, I'm Raphael." 

"Don," the shy intellect said, waving a little. 

Kali crossed her arms over her chest. "The name's Kali."

Mei Pieh nodded nervously in reply. Something about Kali made her uncomfortable. She returned to facing the others. "I'm looking for the main office," she told them, looking at the piece of paper she held. 

"We'll show you," Raph said, holding the door open and shoving Mike inside. 

Mei Pieh smiled at him. "Thank you, I would appreciate that." 

Kali gave Raphael a suspicious look. He was never nice to new people, and never volunteered to help them like that. Was this girl that different? Or maybe his change of attitude had something to do with his extra training he took on this summer. 

Don and Mike exchanged glances as Kali stormed down the hall after Raphael and Mei Pieh.

"This is gonna be an interesting year, isn't it?" Mike asked as Don walked through the door.

"I'd say that would be a safe bet," Don answered, adjusting his glasses. 

*** 

Kali gracefully slipped between Raphael and Mei Pieh. "So, Mei, where are you from?" 

"Shanghai, China. I am here as an exchange student," Mei Pieh replied with a slight Chinese accent to back up her statement. 

"For how long?" 

"Just this school year." 

"Here we are." 

Both girls looked at Raph, then to the office door. 

"Ah," was all Mei Pieh said. 

Kali pulled on Raphael's arm. "Well, we better get to class. They probably have an escort waiting to show you around. Good luck!" 

"Yes, thank you very much," Mei Pieh replied, but Kali and Raphael were out of sight before she even finished her sentence. She did however catch Raphael's deep green gaze before he disappeared. 

"Mei Pieh Chi?" 

Mei Pieh turned to face a tall handsome student. He had black hair, neatly groomed, and Japanese features. 

"Yes?" 

He smiled and Mei Pieh couldn't help but smile back. "Welcome to your first day. I'm Leonardo, I'll be your guide."


	2. Chapter Two: Classes

A Normal Life

***

Chapter Two: Classes

***

The classroom was filled with the chatter of students trying to get in a few last minutes of joy before the teacher arrived and their enthusiasm was sucked from their souls.

Michael was leaning forward, deep in conversation with head cheerleader Renet Tilley. "So, Ren, you got a date for Homecoming?"

Renet giggled and continued curling a lock of pale blonde hair around her little finger. "Well, not ye-"

SLAM!

The entire class jumped and faced forward. Standing behind the desk was a tall, dark man glowering at them. After thoroughly intimidating every student, he turned towards the board.

After a minute of screeching chalk-on-blackboard sounds, 'Li-Liang Drago' and 'World History' were written for the entire class to see.

Mike gulped. Why, oh _why_ did he have to have Mr. "Dragonlord" Drago's class for thing in the morning?

***

Raphael and Kali slipped into their English class just as the bell rang. Miss O'Neil arched an eyebrow at them but said nothing.

"All right. Welcome to Senior English and Literature. This is going to be an exciting year!" Miss O'Neil continued even though half her class already had their heads on their desks. "The reading list for the course is being handed out. Please have a copy of the text before we are scheduled to start reading it."

Kali took two copies, one for herself, and one for Raph, who was one of the first to fall asleep, and passed them along.

***

Donatello high-fived "Mondo" as his friend walked past him to the back of his room. Don, of course, had taken a seat right up front. He immediately looked around for the teacher, but he didn't seem to be here yet. Oh well, it was a new teacher, so Don supposed he should cut him some slack. They never did find out why the old teacher retired at such a young age. Some said that he lost a finger or something, Don figured it might have to do with the prank Mikey hinted at last year.

Just as Don was about to pull up a game on his palm pilot, a gruff looking man walked in. He wore tattered jeans and a ripped t-shirt, completing the look with beard stubble and an out of style hair cut.

Don bit his lip to keep from laughing when someone behind him whispered, "Doesn't he know there's a dress code?"

The teacher slammed down his planner on the desk and looked at the class. "Class is Shop, instructor's Casey Jones. Any questions?"

Don looked down at his schedule. "It says here your first initial is A...."

"Don't talk back to the teacher, kid. Now, your first project this year, will be..."

***

"So, how do you like it here so far?"

Leonardo and Mei Pieh were walking casually down the school's empty hallways. Leo'd made very sure she knew exactly where all her classes were, and the shortest route between them, plus any other place she might need to know of.

Mei Pieh stopped by a row of lockers. "I like it here very much. You have a..." She looked down, trying to find the word in English, "very pretty school."

Leo couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, it is," he replied, without taking his eyes off her.

"Shouldn't you two be in class?"

Leo narrowed his eyes and looked over Mei Pieh's shoulder to glare at the man standing behind her. Vice Principal Saki Oroku was a cruel man with a dark disposition. None of the students liked him, except for the troublemakers, ironically enough.

"I was giving our new student a tour of the campus," Leonardo replied, unflinching.

Mei Pieh turned around nervously. She gave a small smile, which was not returned. It only caused Saki's frown to deepen.

"Miss Chi." Saki looked back at Leo. "I was not aware flirtation was part of the tour."

Both students turned a bright shade of pink, neither able to counter the remark.

"Mr. Oroku!"

Leonardo sighed in relief as he spotted their Principal, Yoshi Hamato, walking towards them. Yoshi was a gentle man, well loved by his students. He was firm, yet compassionate. Leo failed to see why he allowed a man like Saki Oroku to be on his staff.

Yoshi walked right up to Saki, not even coming to his chin, and frowned at him. Not a word was spoken, but an unheard conversation passed between them before Saki turned and stalked back towards his office

Yoshi turned towards the students and smiled. "I am Principal Yoshi Hamato, and I welcome you to our school, Miss Chi."

Mei Pieh smiled and bowed slightly in return. "Thank you Principal Hamato, I am feeling very welcomed."

"Good. I hope you enjoy your stay at our school, and in our country."

"I am sure I will."

***

Donatello set his lunch tray down and sat on the bench that encircled an old evergreen just at the edge of the student eating area. He and his friends had eaten there ever since the first day of school. Mostly it was just Don, Leo, Mike, and Raph, but sometimes other friends spent lunch with them, only to migrate the next day. Kali had become a semi-permanent part of the group since she and Raph started dating last year, but she had quite a few lunch meetings for the clubs she was in.

"Hey, Raph!" Don waved as Raph headed over from the parking lot carrying a couple take-out bags. "Why don't you just eat school lunches?" Don asked as Raph sat back against the tree.

"I ain't standing in that line for that crap."

Don grinned. "But you'll drive all the way to the burger place and pay twice as much for grease-filled quickly served crap?"

"Of course."

Don shook his head. "So, does that other bag mean Kali's joining us today, or are you finally gonna bulk up and go for a higher weight class in wrestling?"

"Kali's comin', said she had Drama, like Mike, but it shouldn't take too long." He took a bite of his burger. "I'm staying right where I am on the wrestling team. Gotta keep Leo in his place."

Don was relieved when Kali and Mike showed up, now he wouldn't have to listen to any of Raph's ranting. Well, at least he wouldn't have to suffer alone. "So, what's up, thespians?"

"'Taming of the Shrew'," Mike replied. "That's this year's play. Tryouts are all next week."

"You'll be a shoe-in for the lead, Kali," Raph grinned, only to receive a punch in the arm. Then he laughed out loud.

Mike chuckled as well. "Hey, guys, d'ya get a load of the new shop teacher? Talk about a Space Case!"

Don and Raph nodded in response, but Kali looked curious. "I don't have him until last period, what's he like?"

"Well, he's- Wait, you're talking shop?" Don looked at her strangely. "Why?"

Kali sat of straight. "Because I want to!" She lowered her voice, adding, "And because I've taken everything else."

"Hmm, fair enough," Don replied. "He's a little... off."

Raph snorted. "_There's_ an understatement. That's like saying Vice Principal Oroku is a _little_ evil. The guy's certifiable!"

Mike grinned. "You think he's cool, don't you?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Okay, so he's not so bad," Don relented. "But the new science teacher, Baxter Stockman-"

"That guy's creepy!" Mike interrupted. "All beady-eyed. He's got mad scientist written all over him"

Kali giggled. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was building a monster out of spare parts in his office."

"Or some tripped out killer robots." Don sighed. "I miss Professor Honeycutt."

"Yeah, that was unfortunate," a voice behind them said.

Mike grinned. "Hey, Leo! And Mei Pieh, hi again!"

Mei Pieh waved shyly. "Hello again."

Leo blinked. "You've met already?"

"Yeah, before school," Don informed him. "She was looking for the office. Nice to see you again, Mei Pieh, you enjoying yourself so far?"

"Very much so. Leonardo has shown me many wonderful things around your school."

Raph smirked. "He show you under the bleachers yet?" Kali backhanded him across the arm but it didn't wipe the smirk off his face.

Leo's face flushed and Mei Pieh innocently asked, "Under the bleachers?"

Leo regained control and locked Raphael with an icy stare. "There's nothing under there but _trash_."

Raph frowned and returned the glare. Mei Pieh could feel the aggressive energy passing between them. She leaned over and asked Mike, "Do they do this often?"

"Only when they're within twenty feet of each other." He moved over to give her room to sit as he pulled a sandwich out of his bag.


	3. Chapter Three: A Turn For The Worse

A Normal Life

***

Chapter Three: A Turn For The Worse

***

Mike stood on his tiptoes to see over the throng of students, trying to spot his friends in the middle of the auditorium. He finally spotted Raphael's flame red hair and made his way over there. As he plopped down in the chair next to Raph, he asked, "So, do you know what this is about?"

Raph was leaning back in his seat. "The same thing the second day of school assembly is always about, Mike. 'Welcome to a new school year, bla bla bla. Staff changes, bla bla bla. Parking rates going up...'"

"They did that just last year, Raph, I doubt they'll do it again."

"I'm still bitter."

"When are you not?" Kali asked jokingly as she took the seat on the other side of Raph.

Raph smirked as he stretched his arm over the back of her seat. "You thought I was pretty sweet last night."

Mike couldn't resist. "Awwwwww!" Then he quickly ducked before Raph could smack him. He was saved by the sound of a throat being cleared echoing through the auditorium.

"Where's Principal Hamato?" Kali whispered, as Saki Oroku started his speech, speaking in that harsh monotone of his.

Raph glared at Mr. Oroku up on stage. Mr. Hamato was supposed to be giving this speech. He _always_ gave this speech.

"Maybe he's sick," Mike whispered back.

"He's _never_ sick," Kali hissed.

Raphael turned his head slightly and matched gazes with Leonardo, also up on stage. As class president, Leo would be giving a short speech as well. They locked eyes, but instead of sparks and tension, there were questions. And neither of them had answers.

***

Raphael didn't bother with the handrail as he went down the school's front steps to where his friends were waiting for him. "So, Mr. Student Council President, what's going on?"

Leonardo chose to ignore Raph's tone, since there were much more important matters at hand. "Principal Hamato has gone missing."

"What?" Mike exclaimed. He'd waited somewhat patiently for the news until everyone was here. He was hoping for something a little more, well, hopeful.

Leo nodded. "He's definitely not at school. I asked Oroku and he said that Mr. Hamato was sick."

"But?" Don arched an eyebrow, hearing the doubt in Leo's voice.

"But none of the other staff can confirm it. Or won't."

"You think something's up?"

"Yes, Raph, I do, and we're going to find out what it is."

***

Leonardo stopped his car in its usual spot in front of the local dojo. This place had be a part of the lives of Leo and his friends for as long as they could remember. In fact, that's how they all met, through this dojo, in the beginning karate class they all took when they were six.

Since then, they'd all moved on to their own martial art paths, rarely being in the same class. Until last summer...

__

*Flashback*

Mikey pulled a tight turn around the corner, jumping up to grind the bus stop bench before continuing to swerve past people and stable objects. When he reached his destination, he kicked his skateboard up into his hands. He took a deep, exaggerated breath. "I love that smell!"

"What smell?" Leo asked, which was followed by the *beep* of a car alarm.

"The smell of _freedom_, bro!" Mike hugged Leo around the shoulder. "Freedom!"

"It's only summer vacation, Mikey, it happens every year."

"And I love it every year," Mike stubbornly continued. "They should have it more often."

Leo just shook his head and sighed, "Mike..." as he pushed open the front doors of the dojo.

They spotted Donatello just dismissing his class. Mike and Leo smiled at the tired, yet happy, six-year-olds. Don grabbed his water bottle and walked over to them. "Hey guys, I didn't know you had classes today."

"We didn't know you did either, Donnie. What's with the munchkin squad?" Mike smiled and waved at the kids as they waited for their parents to pick them up.

"It's just a summer job," Don told them. "It's pretty fun, actually. And teaching is good for keeping your basics sharp."

Leo nodded. "Actually, I'm not here for a class. Someone called and said that Sensei wanted to see me right away."

"Whoa. You, too?" Mike asked. "You think we're in trouble?"

"All three of us? And I think Raph got the message, too." Don hiked his thumb over his shoulder. "He's in the private room, giving Kali some tips."

"Oh, I'm so sure," Leo drawled, walked off towards the adjacent room. It was smaller, no way to safely fit more than three sparring couples in at one time. It was usually used for private lessons or meditation.

Raphael was adjusting Kali's grip on her bo when Leo walked in. He gave them a _you're-actually-training?_ look before asking, "Do either of you know where Sensei is?"

"Nope," Raph replied. "Pimiko told me to wait in here until he was ready."

"Guess we're waitin'," Mike said, plopping down against the wall.

Raphael looked thoroughly annoyed as the three sat down. A few seconds later a young woman a few years older than they were walked in and bowed. "Sensei is prepared to see you now." She looked; no, _glared_, at Kali. "Miss," she hissed. "You're going to have to leave."

"Of course," Kali replied with just as much venom. "I'll be waiting outside," she told Raph before bowing out of the room.

After Pimiko left the room as well, the four remaining students took their places along one edge of the mat. Their wait was not long. A few moments later an old, and deceptively slow, man entered the room. The four students bowed low, waiting for their Sensei to take his place. Sensei gave them the order and they all raised up into a stiff sitting position.

The Master Sensei spoke slowly, as if every word was of great importance. And that was true, what the Sensei was about to say would change the lives of the students before him.

"Every few years I choose from my top students, those who show the skill, desire, and ability to go beyond what is taught to the general public. You four... are about to enter a level of training more intense than anything you have experienced before. It goes beyond mere self-defense and confidence building, to the depths of your very being, and it will change your entire view of the world."

He paused, taking in the reactions of the boys before him. They were all curious and excited, but containing themselves well. Leonardo and Raphael kept their serious faces, but their eyes showed much emotion. Donatello was quietly thinking, and it was quite obvious that he was intrigued. Michael was almost an open book to Sensei, his excitement was shining in his eyes, and a smiled tugged on his lips.

"You are free to decline," Sensei continued. "But I doubt any one of you would pass up an opportunity to learn the ways of the Ninja..."

__

*End Flashback*

Leo gripped his car keys tightly. Their lives had changed so drastically since then. Just three short months of training and they were practically entirely new people. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed it, but he and the others sure did. And they hadn't even scratched the surface...

Leo was pulled from his thoughts by Mikey's exclamation.

"Mei Pieh, dudette! I didn't expect to see you here!"

Sure enough, standing over in one corner with another student was Mei Pieh Chi, wearing a uniform that none of them had ever seen before. She looked over and smiled. She spoke quickly with the person next to her, then walked over to them. "Hello again. Do you train here?"

"Yeah, since we were like, six," Mike told her. "Did you just sign up?"

"Actually, the head of this dojo is a friend of my father. I am staying here with him while I am in America."

"So you're living with Sensei upstairs?" Don asked, looking upward. They all knew that Master Sensei lived in an apartment on the second floor of the dojo, but none of them had ever been up there.

"Yes, I am," Mei Pieh answered. "And I am allowed to practice here in the dojo."

"So I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you then," Raph commented.

"I hope so," Mei Pieh smiled. "I would like to count you all among my friends."

"Count us in!" Mike replied enthusiastically, giving her a thumbs-up.

Leo nodded in agreement, as did Raph and Don. Leo held up his hand. "Excuse me for one second." He walked over to the desk near the door. "Pimiko, has Hamato-sensei been in today?"

Pimiko looked straight into Leo's eyes. "No, he has not. He missed his beginner's class yesterday, as well. His wife called and said he was sick."

"Awww, poor Hamato-sensei," Mike frowned. Leo cast an annoyed glance over his shoulder only to see that the entire group had migrated over to the desk. "We should go see him."

"No!" Pimiko exclaimed. Leo looked back at her with a suspicious glare. Pimiko cleared her throat and regained her usual cold manner. "He is very ill, and wishes no visitors."

Leonardo held Pimiko's gaze a few seconds longer, then turned away. "Thank you, Pimiko. Have a nice day." He then walked right out of the dojo, the rest of the group following, all casting curious or downright hostile looks at Pimiko as they passed.

"So, anybody else smell a rat?" Raph asked as they reached the parking lot.

"Something's definitely wrong," Don agreed.

"I still say we go visit Mr. Hamato," Mike said.

Leo pulled out his car keys. "I was thinking the same thing, Mikey." Leo didn't want to worry the others needlessly, but he was getting a very bad feeling about this.

"May I come as well?"

Leo looked over in surprise, he hadn't realized Mei Pieh had followed them all the way out here. "Well, I..."

"That girl was lying," Mei Pieh told him bluntly.

"I coulda told you that," Raph sneered. "If she's breathing she's lying."

"She does not know the truth," Mei Pieh continued. "But she knows that what she told you is not."

Raph looked at her suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

Mei Pieh suddenly looked shy. "I... study techniques that allow me to gather more information than mere words can provide."

"Like mind reading?" Mike smiled. "Can you read my mind? Can you see the future?"

"Don't be silly, Mike," Don said. "Mind reading isn't possible."

Mei Pieh blushed, but spoke with a steady voice. "Not exactly mind reading. More along the lines of reading... body language."

Leo looked at her. Mei Pieh got the distinct impression that he didn't believe her. But instead of calling her on it, he simply smiled. "I'm impressed. Usually Pimiko's a good enough liar to convince even those who know her well. Welcome to the team, Mei Pieh."


	4. Chapter Four: The Plot Thickens

A Normal Life

***

Author's Note (04-29-03): Well, if I still have any readers left, I'd like to thank you for sticking with me through this dry spell. And I'd like to thank everyone who sent me get-wells, they meant a lot. I'm not gonna bore you all with why this chapter took so long, as that is a story in and of itself.

***

Chapter Four: The Plot Thickens

***

Leonardo thought about what he was going to say as the five of them climbed the stairs up to Mr. Hamato's apartment. A part of him wanted to be blunt, to find out exactly what was going on, but when Mr. Hamato's wife, Shen, answered the door, signs of recent tears on her face, he just couldn't do it.

He gave a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Hamato, is your husband home?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Leo saw the strength in her eyes crumble. "My husband is not here," she told them sadly. "He has not been home since yesterday morning."

"So he's _not_ sick," Raphael whispered under his breath.

"Who told you he was sick?" Shen demanded sharply. Raph looked shocked; surprised by her tone, harsh compared to her usual soft voice, and the fact she heard him at all. Raph opened and closed his mouth a few times before Leo covered for him.

"Vice Principal Oroku. And Pimiko at the dojo claimed that you called him in sick."

"I did no such thing!" Shen gripped the door handle fiercely. "Oroku Saki. He has done something to my Yoshi, I just know it. Ever since..." Shen suddenly stopped, took a deep, shuddering breath and covered her eyes with her hand. "Forgive my outburst."

Raph smiled. "S'alright, you're entitled."

"You should go to the police," Donatello suggested. "Mr. Hamato has been missing over twenty-four hours, from what you've said."

Shen began wringing her hands together. "No, no police. Saki is beyond the police, and if I even attempted it..." She covered her mouth with her hand, choking back a sob.

Leo looked back at the others; they were just as confused as he was. Something _big_ was going on here. Leo placed his hand on Shen's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mrs. Hamato, I'm sure everything will turn out all right."

He turned to leave and found resistance. He looked down at Shen's hand holding onto his arm. She was a lot stronger than she looked. "I know that look, Leonardo, I've seen it many times since you were a child. Do not get yourselves involved in this. This is not school bullies and drug dealers. This is much more dangerous, and you are not ready for such dangers."

Leo simply smiled and gently dislodged his arm from Shen's iron grip. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hamato."

"Do not pursue this!" Shen shouted as they left. "This is over your heads!"

"So, where to next, Boss?" Mikey asked once they were outside.

"Donny's, if it's okay with you, Don. We need to find out more about Mr. Oroku, and Yoshi and Shen while we're at it."

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

Leo turned to Mei Pieh sharply. He wished she'd stop doing that, "blending" into the background so that he forgot she was with them. He'd have to keep an eye on her.

Raph laughed. "Yeah, so?"

"Isn't that wrong?" Mei asked.

Don held open the back door of Leo's car for her. "In most cases. We aren't looking for Social Security numbers or Credit Reports or anything like that. And I won't be hacking into anywhere if I can help it."

Mei gave him a perplexed look. "Hacking?"

Don sat in the seat next to her while Mike stole the front seat. Leo was driving, obviously, and Raph had his bike. "Hacking," Don started to explain, "It's like breaking into a computer, like someone would break into a house."

"To steal things," Mei assumed.

"Well, sometimes." Don held his hands up in defense when he saw her appalled expression. "But _I've_ never stolen anything in my life. I help _stop_ the people trying to steal and destroy things."

Mei looked at him skeptically but dropped it. Mike, on the other hand, couldn't help from cracking up in the front seat. Don reached forward and snatched Mike's orange hat off his head and started beating him with it.

"Hey, Don, ow, ow, watch it! Ow, ow, come on, can't you take a joke, ow!"

Leo sighed as Don tossed Mike's hat back to him and settled back to buckle his seatbelt. Leo turned the key and pulled away from the curb. Raph was already out of sight.

***

The room was dark, cold, and an occasional rat scurried across the floor. But they paid no mind to the basement's other occupant, aside from a curious sniff or two.

Hamato Yoshi had only the vaguest of ideas as to where he might be. It was obviously a basement, but of which building? The high school? Very likely, but it seemed too obvious considering his kidnapper. It could just as likely be almost any building in town, or even in another town all together. There were no windows to see out of, no sounds of the outside world in which to orient himself with. But _where_ he was was his last concern.

He pulled at the chains that bound him to the piping. He had to find a way to free himself first. He had been drugged when he was first brought here, and had since gone without food or water. For how long, he didn't even know. Yoshi was no fool, he knew he didn't stand a chance against his adversary in this state. He was, as hard as it was for him to admit, powerless.

Yoshi winced as a bright light invaded the normally dark room. 

"Enjoying your stay?"

The prisoner squinted up into the cruel face of Oroku Saki. "What do you want from me?"

"Revenge."

Yoshi coughed. "Your suffering and dishonor are _your_ doing, Saki. A product of _your_ cruel and evil deeds. Do not dishonor yourself further by casting the blame upon others."

"You have been a thorn in my side for as long as I care to remember." Saki's voice was cold and even, but Yoshi could feel the anger radiating from him. "It is far past time to have you removed."

"Then go ahead. Kill me." Yoshi bowed his head, daring Saki.

Saki stared down at him. "No, not like this. You will know suffering as I have known it. Then, and only then, will you die." Saki turned and left the room. The darkness surrounded Yoshi again and for the first time he felt fear. He had no fear of his own death, but how many others would suffer, die, until Saki was satisfied? Yoshi knew, it would be far too many.

***

"Hey, Raph, heads up!"

Raphael brought his hand up and caught the soda with barely a glance. He brought the can up to his ear to judge whether he should open it or not.

Mikey pouted as he opened his own soda. "What's wrong, Raph, don't trust me?"

"No."

"That hurts, bro."

Raph opened the can and took a long drink. "Trust me, it would have hurt a lot more if you'd shaken it up." He looked down the hall towards Don's room, where the computer genius was busy doing whatever it was he did. The process didn't interest Raphael, just the results.

Leonardo was sitting on the couch making small talk with Mei. Right now they were comparing cultures, something else Raphael had no interest in. Mike was thumbing through magazines, mostly technology and computer stuff that Mike wouldn't understand, so he settled on a science fiction issue.

Just as Raphael began thinking about taking off, Don emerged from his room. Leo stood. "What did you find?"

Don waved a few papers in his hand, a triumphant smile tugging his lips. "Plenty... but nothing concrete. Turns out that Hamato and Oroku are old rivals."

"Duh." Raphael rolled his eyes. "You only need to be in the same room with them to know that. What were they rivals in?"

Don passed some of his notes to Leo. "As far as I can tell, just about everything. Martial arts, mostly, I found quite a few articles about the matches and tournaments they participated in. Usually, it was Mr. Hamato who came out the victor."

"Ooh, ol' Saki couldn't have been too happy about that," Raph snickered.

"They lived in the same city in Japan before Yoshi moved to New York with his new bride, Tang Shen," Don continued. "A few months later, Saki also moved to New York."

Leo frowned, and Raphael could see the wheels turning in his mind. "We've seen Yoshi participate in many tournaments, how come we've never seen Saki?"

Don shuffled through his papers. "Well... it's in here somewhere... there was an incident about fifteen years ago. During a tournament match in which Yoshi and Saki were fighting, Saki suddenly attacked Yoshi for _real_, doing some real damage. Here's the article." He scanned it over quickly. "Yoshi spent quite a bit of time recuperating, and Saki was banned from all future tournaments and competitions, demonstrations, even admission into dojos."

"What could possibly cause him to do such a thing?" Mei sat with her hands folded on her lap. "Especially in front of all those people, when he had so much to lose?"

Leo gave a questioning look to Don, who simply shrugged. They all knew Saki had a deep seeded hate for Yoshi, but they never understood why before. In fact, they still didn't understand. Leo had the feeling that this went far beyond mere rivalry, to something much, much deeper.

"Um, so, _now_ do we go to the police?" Mike interrupted.

"There isn't any evidence, Mikey." Don sighed running his fingers through his long brown hair.

"There's motive," Raphael reminded him. "Isn't that enough to get them started on a missing persons case?"

They all turned to Leo. After they'd all said their piece, it was always Leo who put it all together and made the final decision after listening to everyone.

"No," Leo finally said. "It'll tip our hand. Shen said the police could do nothing anyway." He looked over at the clock on the wall. "It's late, let's all go home. We'll pick it up again tomorrow."

Mikey nearly jumped out of his chair. He loved a good mystery, and this was promising to be one of their best yet.


End file.
